Wichita studies fueling buses with natural gas

The Wichita Eagle reports that the city paid $3.76 a gallon for diesel to run the buses this month; compressed natural gas runs about $1.20 to $1.50 a gallon. But making the switch would require the city's transit facility to undergo major improvements -- about $200,000 to modify buildings, primarily for safety reasons, and $2 million to build natural gas fueling stations.

Transit director Steve Spade says that with those costs factored in, the average annual savings with natural gas buses would be around $300,000 a year over time.

Spade and the city's consultant are in the middle of a detailed study about the potential conversion.